A refreshing summer corn salad recipe made with charred corn, Hatch green chiles direct from New Mexico, blistered cherry tomatoes, and crumbled cotija cheese. It’s time to fire up the grill!
Where we live, summertime is all about corn. We’re in the heart of the Midwest, and it’s interesting here because we can drive 10 minutes in one direction and hit a decent sized city, and 10 minutes in the opposite direction and hit a cornfield. We ride our bikes along a bike path that cuts through a large cornfield and the stalks are typically “knee high by the fourth of July”.
The grocery stores are jammed with pallets filled with corn and the road side stands appear where you can toss your money into a wooden box and take away fresh corn on the cob. It’s a great place to live for a corn lover!
What we don’t have, though, are fresh Hatch chile peppers. I can get chili peppers, of course, and I grow plenty, but the only place you get true, authentic Hatch chile peppers is directly from New Mexico. Hatch chiles are unique. They’re grown in New Mexico where the soil conditions are like nowhere else on earth, which produces chiles like you’ve never tasted. Couple that with the pride and extra attention the growers give to nurturing these wonderful peppers, and you have something truly special. Those from the New Mexico area know this and it shows.
While I may not have access to local Hatch chile peppers where I live, I CAN order them online. With corn season in full swing, I needed a side dish for a party and knew I wanted to make a charred corn salad. They’re easy to prepare and I get to fire up the grill. Bonus! Plus, you can incorporate so many flavors and styles of cooking for a dish like this, and everyone loves them. I wanted this corn salad to truly stand out, so I ordered a batch of roasted peppers from the Hatch Chile Store.
Look at all this gorgeousness. So fresh and vibrant! You don’t need a lot for this recipe, but you’ll be amazed at the end result. The main components are roasted Hatch chiles, corn, cherry tomatoes, cotija cheese and cilantro.
Shuck your ears of corn and fire up your grill. Save one or two of the ears of corn so we can include a bit of fresh, uncooked corn in the recipe. It adds an additional fresh POP of taste.
Rub the corn down with a bit of oil and grill them until they are nicely charred. You can char them to the level you’d like, as dark as you prefer. When they’re nearly done, blister the cherry tomatoes along with the corn, then get it all onto a cutting board.
Doesn’t the corn look awesome? Nice and golden with an attractive char.
Charred Corn Salad with Hatch Green Chiles Ingredients
Olive oil as needed
8 ears corn, shucked
16-ounce bag Roasted Hatch Green Chile Peppers
8 ounces cherry tomatoes
2 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
1 handful cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Juice from 2 small limes
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Get the full directions here: http://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/soups-salads-stews/charred-corn-salad-with-hatch-green-chiles
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